


Welcome to the Jungle

by TeatimeDuchess



Category: Long Exposure (Webcomic)
Genre: And Jonas is terrified, And him and Sid live together, And mitch and jonas don't have powers, And they live in some other big city in california which i still have yet to decide, Dirty dirty Thoughts, Jonas goes to college, Jonas plays drums, M/M, Mitch is in love, Mitch is the lead singer, They're all like 2 years older than canon, Vulgar Language, band au, mitjo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-18 06:02:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11285172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeatimeDuchess/pseuds/TeatimeDuchess
Summary: Band au.It's only two weeks before Battle of the Bands, and Cliff lands his ass in jail. What else can Mitch do but host auditions for a new drummer and hope to hell that they'll pull through?





	Welcome to the Jungle

**Author's Note:**

> Someone mentioned a band au in the last set of asks that Mars did, and I was inspired!
> 
> For this au, everyone lives in a big California city, they're all a couple of years older than canon, Jonas doesn't know Mitch and his crew, and Mitch and Jonas don't have powers.
> 
> There will be 2 more chapters at least for this.
> 
> A huge thank you to Mars for making these wonderful characters and this incredible web comic!! I haven't been so inspired to write in years!
> 
> And as always, thank you to my literary wife and beta TheLordofLaMancha, and to my lovely partner in crime Sarah, for reading and editing and major feedback.
> 
> The tags, rating and warnings may change as I write the other chapters.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!!

Jonas was shaking. His nerves were shot and his chest was tight as he sat there waiting. The tension from gripping onto his drumsticks so damn hard had his knuckles going white, and his foot wouldn't stop tapping in a nervous rhythm. What was he even doing here? Trying out for a punk band?? He had watched YouTube videos, read up on the indie band, done all his homework, and had come out thinking that he wouldn't be able to fit in. So how did he still think he could do this? 

Sidney had always encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone, so despite all the odds being against him, Jonas had pushed himself to come out to the sketchy, old, rundown building where the kijiji ad had listed the tryouts. The chairs were just barely useable, and the "waiting room" (marked with a sloppily handwritten sign), was partially exposed to the elements due to a massive hole in the wall. Of course he hadn't told Sidney where or what he was doing because she absolutely would not have let him come. 

He now regretted the decision he had made not to tell her. Maybe she would have come with him or reassured him instead...

Jonas cradled his head in his hands. Who was he even kidding, dressed in a striped button up polo shirt and long, baggy shorts. He stared at the floor and willed himself to not throw up.

Two other contenders (both looking punk as heck) had gone in before him, both had come out looking...not happy. He was the last one waiting. He didn't have a chance in hell if those two hadn't auditioned well. Any minute now he'd be called in. Maybe he could run out of the building before Scratch came back out.

Too late.

His head whipped up as the girl with the green hair walked out once again and called his name. She was extremely energetic, and her appearance and attitude screamed punk. 

"Jonas...uh...Wagnerd?" She cackled to herself, clearly amused with her little joke.

Jonas nervously laughed along with her, as if he'd never heard that one before. "Y-ya that's me." He stood, gathering his knapsack and skateboard, and followed her into the main room of the warehouse.

She motioned to the seat behind a drumset, pushing Jonas towards it before sprinting towards two seated men. They stopped their conversation briefly to watch as she leapt into a wheeled office chair, and went spinning across the expansive room, loud laughter trailing behind. 

Javier looked anything but amused as he got up to check on Scratch, leaving a very intimidating brunette alone with Jonas. With a sigh and an eyeroll Mitch turned back around to look at the drummer. 

Both of them stopped breathing in that moment.

Jonas thought he might faint. The man was more terrifying in person than in the videos he had watched. And Mitch...well Mitch just continued to stare at Jonas, his face getting progressively more and more red.

What was Jonas supposed to do now? Was the lead singer going to beat him up for showing up in a polo shirt? He knew he should have stolen a band t-shirt from Sidney.

Jonas' instincts yelled at him to bolt from his chair like a scared rabbit. Yet he sat there, paralyzed, waiting for something to happen.

Someone cleared their throat from behind Mitch; Javier had returned, rolling Scratch back over to sit next to them. Mitch broke his stare and Jonas started to breath again.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Mitch's voice was loud and raspy; he was talking to Javier. About him. Javier gave Mitch a pointed look and it seemed like they had an entirely silent conversation. Jonas just sat there and watched the exchange in embarrassment. Was he a joke? He started to tap his foot again nervously.

"So...Jonas was it? Cleary you saw our ad for a drummer. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?" Javier had a nice voice, despite his clown makeup. It was deep and calm and clear.

Jonas nodded. But nothing came out of his mouth. And Mitch had started staring at him again. He knew his own face must be as red as a tomato...

He'd been asked a question. What had it been? To tell them about himself? He had to respond with words. 

"S-sorry. I've been playing the drums since I was about 10. I've never been in a band before, besides the high school band, but I watched some of your garage session videos and I can carry my own."

He watched as Javier and Scratch both looked at Mitch to say something. Javier had to elbow the brunette to get a response. "Oh ya. Uh. Just go for it." Mitch waved a hand, as if telling him to get on with it. 

Well, that sure as heck was discouraging. Jonas took in a deep breath, and let it out sloooooowly. He twirled his drumsticks between his fingers a few times, rolled his wrists, tapped a quick tempo with his foot and then went at it. 

XXX

Mitch had been about to call off the auditions. The first two guys had been complete shitheads and terrible drummers, and by what Scratch was telling him of this third guy, he looked like someone he would have beaten up in high school. 

Fucking Cliff just had to go and get himself arrested for possession two weeks before battle of the bands. This was supposed to be their big break and Cliff had fucked up big time. He was gonna beat his ass when the blond got out of jail. 

"So, how long do you think Cliff'll be behind bars?" Javier was trying to make conversation and Mitch really, really didn't want to talk to him or Scratch or the next lowlife that came through the doors for the audition. He should've smoked something before coming today. 

"Hell if I care. I'm gonna kill him next time I see him though." 

"That was some dumb shit he pulled."

Mitch snorted. "You bet your crazy clown ass that was some dumb shit. He's gotta be the worst dealer I've ever met."

Footsteps clicked across the cement floor and Mitch looked up in time to see Scratch running full throttle at him and Javier. She spun across the room, Javier ran after her, and Mitch looked at the drumset hoping for it to be empty.

But goddamn was he ever glad that it wasn't. 

"Fuck..."

Sitting there was the most gorgeous man he had ever seen. He didn't understand how Scratch had come up with her description of him because this freckled angel was perfection incarnate. Mitch stared at him, not knowing what to say or do and god fucking dammit he wanted to bend that boy over the fucking drum set and pound him good-

Javier cleared his throat behind him and Mitch sat up real straight, real fast.

"Is this some kind of joke?" He was looking at Javier's face, half expecting him to burst out laughing and tell him that the kid behind the drums was just a prank he and Scratch had come up with. Javier just shook his head and turned to the kid.

"So...Jonas-"

Jonas. The drummer's name was Jonas. Mitch's mind sighed his name over and over again, presenting the lead singer with a wonderful daydream of Jonas trapped beneath him, wrists pinned above his head, Mitch whispering his name with reverence as he fucked him-

Javier elbowed him hard, and all three of them were staring at him, waiting for him to answer something? Jonas looked like he was waiting to start. 

"Oh ya. Uh. Just go for it." He waved his hand at Jonas and leaned back in his busted up lawn chair. He hoped this kid was as good at the drums as he was beautiful.

When he started to play, everything else in the room vanished. It was just him and his angel faced drummer and a deep thrumming rhythm in his chest that beat in time with his heart.

"Well I'll be damned..." His angel could rock, and he looked hot as fucking hell doing it. Mitch couldn't help but stare again at Jonas' perfect face. The freckled man was out of breath by the time he finished playing. Mitch's dirty mind wandered once more to other activities that would leave Jonas panting like that....

Scratch's loud whooping startled him out of another daydream and Javier looked absolutely thrilled.

A wide grin spread across Mitch's face for the first time that day. This kid was a goddamn blessing; he was better than Cliff at the drums, and he was cute as fuck. He would have to thank Cliff when he got out of prison. If that asshole hadn't gotten arrested, Jonas would have never ended up in his sights.

He looked side to side, at his band mates. "He'll need a new wardrobe." They nodded in unison and Mitch stood up, stretching and walking over to the still seated Jonas. He loomed above him with a crooked grin.

"Joey? Welcome to the band."


End file.
